Pre booking entainment etc Iona

[Bin man]

Pre booked Iona theatre 4 nights but no sign of being able to book mdr .Can pre book limelight club if required.Confirmation of theatre booking returned via email with ref no .

[terrierjohn]

3 hours ago, Bin man said:

Pre booked Iona theatre 4 nights but no sign of being able to book mdr .Can pre book limelight club if required.Confirmation of theatre booking returned via email with ref no .

I suspect that only a limited number of 5 and 6 O'clock bookings for the MDRs will be possible, I am on board and cannot book a time slot for later. But you can easily join a virtual queue which if you share a table normally only has a 10 min wait time, I believe a table for 2 is a longer wait.

[zap99]

14 minutes ago, terrierjohn said:

I suspect that only a limited number of 5 and 6 O'clock bookings for the MDRs will be possible, I am on board and cannot book a time slot for later. But you can easily join a virtual queue which if you share a table normally only has a 10 min wait time, I believe a table for 2 is a longer wait.

On Britannia we prebooked all the entertainment. After showers, but before getting ready we joined the virtual queue. When we went down we popped into Brodies. Normally a wait af 5,or 10 minutes our table for 2 was ready. 

[Megabear2]

51 minutes ago, zap99 said:

On Britannia we prebooked all the entertainment. After showers, but before getting ready we joined the virtual queue. When we went down we popped into Brodies. Normally a wait af 5,or 10 minutes our table for 2 was ready. 

Zap what time do you like to dine, please?   We need a table for 2 relatively early, around 6.15 to 6.30, for medical reasons.  Never had a problem before but getting a bit nervous with all this talk of not getting in for ages.

[zap99]

24 minutes ago, Megabear2 said:

Zap what time do you like to dine, please?   We need a table for 2 relatively early, around 6.15 to 6.30, for medical reasons.  Never had a problem before but getting a bit nervous with all this talk of not getting in for ages.

Normally about 7.30. I think early tables can be booked. About 6.00, but not too sure.

 

 

 

[terrierjohn]

45 minutes ago, Megabear2 said:

Zap what time do you like to dine, please?   We need a table for 2 relatively early, around 6.15 to 6.30, for medical reasons.  Never had a problem before but getting a bit nervous with all this talk of not getting in for ages.

I would guess that a regular booking at that time would be easily accomplished, it's the later times that get busy.

[d@711]

MDR can’t be pre booked on Iona. When we were last on board pre booking was available to book on the app for early times, I think 17.15- 18.00. Totally defeating the “ freedom dining” ideal. Might just of well have an early sitting. IMO of course !

[Bin man]

I was questioning what Smokey 01had said on restaurant bookings#10 that they had booked mdr before sailing on Iona so don't know if they were trying pre booking on Iona or not 

[Fionboard]

Only had Freedom once (Iona) and never again! Freedom dining is an oxymoron to me, but then I am a solo traveller which makes a difference I guess. Have made some good friends on fixed dining.

[zap99]

12 hours ago, d@711 said:

MDR can’t be pre booked on Iona. When we were last on board pre booking was available to book on the app for early times, I think 17.15- 18.00. Totally defeating the “ freedom dining” ideal. Might just of well have an early sitting. IMO of course !

Folk may want to dine early once ,or twice and not be too bothered the rest of the nights.

[smokey01]

18 hours ago, Bin man said:

I was questioning what Smokey 01had said on restaurant bookings#10 that they had booked mdr before sailing on Iona so don't know if they were trying pre booking on Iona or not 

On 24th September cruise they did trial it. So before the cruise I was able to book 8pm each night which is the time that suits us. But once on the cruise we decided we didn’t like the little dining rooms so I tried to rebook Coral or Pearl for 8pm but that was not possible. So I cancelled that one booking and joined the virtual queue for that night. I’ve no idea of the outcome of the trial and if they are still allowing pre booking. I really liked pre booking as we normally book traditional dining when on a ship that allows it. The other times we sailed on Iona with only the virtual queue method I found we tended to eat slightly earlier than I would like in case we couldn’t get in.

[Bin man]

Thanks for your reply again .I guess they are still not certain which way to go on this one .As you say we would be happy to book the mdr 14 nights before we went 6pm suits us down to the ground . Last year on Iona  just queued early got a table for 2 and liked that table and waiters so just  went and booked the rest of the cruise at the desk . 

[terrierjohn]

On 10/19/2022 at 10:11 PM, Bin man said:

I was questioning what Smokey 01had said on restaurant bookings#10 that they had booked mdr before sailing on Iona so don't know if they were trying pre booking on Iona or not 

We discussed this over dinner on our last night on Iona yesterday and the general consensus is that the on board operation is not working as P&O expected. One couple had used the app the first 2 nights and had long waits before being pinged that their table was available. So after discussion with other disillusioned users they switched to just turning up when they wanted, and if they were prepared to share they were seated immediately. Another couple on their first visit requested a table at 7:30 each night and this was arranged and accommodated. We had used the app, and requested to share, but if we were ready before being pinged we went down anyway, which initially always resulted in us being given a table for 2, later on we had to respecify our desire to share to ensure this was met.

The other couple had been very disillusioned by the the time it took to be pinged, and had used the Quays, the Beach House and the Buffet quite a few times to avoid these delays.

The app sounds a good idea in principle, but the reluctance of many passengers to use their smart phones on holiday, or not even use a smart phone, means that the system as currently envisaged is doomed to be a failure.

[Happy afloat]

Our phones will be locked in the safe on arrival and only removed to make an occasional call home when in port. We are both still at work, and subsequently our lives are ruled by "the clock". Our holidays are precious to us, to a little bit of "our" time that give us a break from the rigmarole of the daily grind. The only time we'll be consulting our watches will be to check we're not late back on board.

[JB9302]

On our cruise 24/9 this year Iona we booked MDR for 6.30 every night bar 2 bookings in Limelight Club and theatre every night at 8.30 where available.

All of this was done from home on the P & O account couple of weeks before the cruise .

[terrierjohn]

5 hours ago, JB9302 said:

On our cruise 24/9 this year Iona we booked MDR for 6.30 every night bar 2 bookings in Limelight Club and theatre every night at 8.30 where available.

All of this was done from home on the P & O account couple of weeks before the cruise .

Why would you want to book the same time for dinner every night, it totally negates the benefits of freedom dining?

[JB9302]

Because we like to eat at 6.30pm , what’s wrong with that time to eat ?

[Megabear2]

16 minutes ago, JB9302 said:

Because we like to eat at 6.30pm , what’s wrong with that time to eat ?

We will be doing the same as we have medical needs for early dining.  We also like a table for 2 and this way we can ask for that.  Normally no problem in getting our requested time particularly if we explain medical need.

[Bin man]

Because we would rather have Club dinning at 6.30pm but when it's only freedom on Iona or arvia that's the next best thing We only use the mdr it's to our tastes and would not go to any of the other restaurants as the food in the mdrs is more to our palette As people wish to try other things that's good for them and freedom is good for them As we like to go to the 8.30 show an early 6pm to 6.30 table for 2 is ideal for us and if we can book the whole cruise we would